Rafa Benitez is not wrong. If Newcastle United avoid the drop this season, it will be one of the biggest successes in the club’s recent history.

That is not saying much, given the deplorable depths to which the Magpies have fallen during the Mike Ashley era; the last 11 years have not been a period merely of stagnation, but one of continued, painful decline.

It would be taking things a little far to suggest survival this season would be like winning a trophy, as BT Sport appeared determined to get Benitez to state on Saturday evening. For a club who have failed to win a major trophy since 1969 or a domestic cup since 1955, that would be patronising beyond belief.

But, make no mistake about it, the final nine games of this season will be among the most-challenging in Benitez’s illustrious career.

Two years ago, the Spaniard arrived at St James’ Park partly blind to the level of decay behind the scenes at Newcastle. Now, however, he is embroiled deep in a relegation battle with his eyes wide open, party to all of the facts - and armed with the knowledge he has been left short.

He has argued since last July that the Magpies were risking their top-flight future with their tentative, snail-like approach to transfers - and due to the lack of Premier League experience, and quality, within his squad.

Now here Newcastle are with nine games to go - and their top-flight status remains in the balance, with a potentially season-defining two-match spell to come.

If the Magpies are to emerge from back-to-back games - albeit they are three weeks apart - with survival in their sights, then Saturday’s meek display at Liverpool must merely be consigned to history.

Newcastle United Manager Rafael Benitez sits in the dugouts during the Premier League clash at Anfield (Image: Newcastle United)

There were no real positives to take from Benitez’s Anfield return - bar the fact Newcastle’s goal difference of -13 remains far superior to the likes of Crystal Palace (-18), West Ham United (-18), Huddersfield Town (-25) and Stoke City (-26), but that will hardly act as much of a filip to supporters nor players - and this was very much a case of damage limitation.

For many Newcastle fans, such an approach was hard to stomach. Should the Magpies remain a Premier League side come the end of May, then those supporters will surely forget Newcastle’s largely-passive performances at the Etihad, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, the Emirates and Anfield.

But there can be no repeat next term. No supporter expects Newcastle to be challenging for a top-six berth next season, but they do expect to see progress.

Benitez certainly does. He wants to be given the tools with which to make United competitive in every match; at the moment, his implements are largely blunt and toothless when they come up against Europe’s elite.

This Newcastle squad contains endeavour, heart and togetherness; things which the Magpies team Benitez inherited were woefully lacking. But it is short of the quality and experience necessary to unsettle a Liverpool side who are unbeaten at Anfield this season and even defeated Premier League-champions elect Manchester City on their own patch.

For 40 minutes, the visitors did frustrate the home side. Benitez, as keen as ever to score a tactical victory over one of his peers, tinkered with Newcastle’s system once again by deploying a 5-4-1 formation.

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Kenedy and DeAndre Yedlin played as wing-backs, Paul Dummett shifted in to become a third centre-half, while wingers Jacob Murphy and Christian Atsu were tasked with helping lone-striker Dwight Gayle to frighten Liverpool on the break with their pace.

One of Benitez’s buzz words is “compact” - and United were certainly that for the majority of the first half.

Atsu and Murphy tucked inside to make a narrow midfield four alongside Mo Diame and Mikel Merino, who worked tirelessly in the Magpies’ engine room.

But, when you are up against a team of Liverpool’s attacking quality, one mistake can be fatal. And so it proved.

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In the 40th minute, an unkind ricochet off Murphy saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain receive the ball in space and run at the Newcastle defence. He fed Mo Salah, who had ghosted into the box, and the Egyptian rifled an effort through Martin Dubravka’s legs.

The only occasions the Magpies appeared vulnerable during the first half was when they committed a few bodies forward and tried to be adventurous - and that contributed to Salah’s opener.

Yet Newcastle did almost level things up during first-half injury time. Merino squared to Diame on the edge of the area, and the Senegalese midfielder clipped an effort towards goal, only for Loris Karius to produce an excellent save to tip it over the bar.

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After Liverpool were denied a penalty despite Salah’s curling effort appearing to strike the outstretched arms of Jamaal Lascelles, Sadio Mane settled the game by the 55th minute.

The Reds cut open Newcastle’s defence, Roberto Firmino played Mane through into the area, and the Liverpool forward coolly curled past Dubravka.

During the final 35 minutes, United barely mustered a whimper. Instead, the Magpies were fortunate not to lose their captain to a red card and a one-game suspension when Lascelles appeared to trip Salah - who was clean through on goal - just outside the area during injury time.

Newcastle managed just 29 per cent possession at Anfield, only seven efforts on goal, and just two shots on target.

The harsh reality is that Liverpool did not even advance beyond second gear; the Reds were sloppy and lethargic, yet still they swatted aside the Magpies with ease.

Games like this will not define Newcastle’s season - unless survival does indeed come down to goal difference, in which case they might in a positive sense - but Benitez must be given greater resources to ensure the Magpies can at least appear competitive at grounds like Anfield next term.

Before that, however, a season-defining two games await. Wins over Southampton and Huddersfield at St James’ Park will all but secure United’s top-flight status for next term - while the consequences of two-straight defeats would be almost inconceivable.

A huge few weeks lie ahead for Newcastle if they are to achieve one of the greatest success stories of the club’s modern history by securing survival.